Updated: AMD Talks RDNA2, Raytracing, Roadmaps and a possible teaser of Big NAVI
At financial analyst day AMD CEO Lisa Su today talked about architectural roadmaps up to 2022 and shared a word or two about ZEN3, ZEN3, RDNA2 as well as what seems to be a teaser of Big NAVI.
AMD CEO Lisa Su took to the stage provided some updates to the company's plans for the next three to five years. The financial analyst day presentation sounds like it is, long (!) as they'll talk through the entire product line and then some. However this round AMD shared a few more roadmaps. AMD shared a new roadmap for CPUs and GPUs. The company will release Zen 4 processors based on the 5nm process in-market by the end of 2022. Meanwhile, Zen 3 on 7nm is on track for late 2020.
Radeon graphics
We knew already that RDNA2 (listed as NAVI 2X) with Big NAVI is going to support hardware-accelerated raytracing (DX-R), this is now (again) confirmed. In a roadmap, AMD now also list RDNA3 (and next year we're sure a similar slide will show RNDA4). AMD will release video cards based on RDNA2 at the end of this year, these are aimed at 4k gaming and have hardware support for raytracing. AMD put the RDNA 3 generation on the roadmap for 2022. While new details have not been disclosed AMD did confirm that the RDNA 2 video cards will support variable-rate shading and thus hardware Raytracing. VRS is a technique where fast-moving parts of a scene that you do not focus on with your eyes, will be rendered at a lower quality.
AMD designates the Radeon cards based on RDNA 2 as NAVI 2X, RDNA 3 is referred to as Navi 3X on the new roadmap. Proper details about the new video cards are still missing, but AMD has announced that the first RDNA 2 cards will be released at the end of this year, which really sounds like delay? Thes cards are intended to be high-end cards for 4k gaming. Compared to the current RX 5000 cards based on the RDNA 1 architecture, AMD promises a 50 percent improvement when it comes to performance per watt. That would be possible due to higher clock speeds and architectural changes.
So yeah hidden embedded in the slide deck ... a teaser of Big NAVI?
Very interesting to see is that RDNA2 architecture should bring a 50% power efficiency improvement. RDNA3 (NAVI 3X) is listed as an advanced node, meaning it could be a 7nm product series that is further optimized, however, we would not be surprised to see it on a 5nm node, similar to ZEN4. AMD also mentions two architectures will be used for GPUs. a computer-oriented GPUs will utilize CDNA architecture, while gaming targeted GPUs will remain at RDNA. This is something that NVIDIA is doing as ell for example with Volta, that way they can more deeply optimize the GPU for its intended workload. CDNA architecture is thus a GPU architecture for data centers. The C stands for Compute. AMD would release the first CNDA cards later this year and show a roadmap with the CDNA 2 architecture, should arrive in 2022.
Desktop processors
On the processor side, the roadmap slide shows ZEN3 at7nm (optimized) and ZEN4, which will be based on a 5nm fabrication node. The company is working closely with TSMC for the production of Zen 4 processors at 5nm. AMD has not yet detailed anything about the new Zen 4 architecture. The company did mention it will use techniques for stacking chips for various future products. AMD will combine that with the chiplet technology that is already being used. The stacking of chip orders is called AMD X3D packaging which could be introduced with ZEN4. The first processors with Zen 3 cores will be released at the end of this year. They are fabbed on an improved version of TSMC's 7nm process. AMD also mentioned it now has sold more than 260 million processors based on Zen cores, introduced in 2017.
AMD Talks Radeon RX 5700 Temps And Max Boost on Their Blog - 08/13/2019 08:32 AM
In what can only be described as an informative article, AMD uncovered some design features on the RX 5700 series in terms of internal temperatures and basically, they are saying that any RX 5700 is...
AMD Talks and Shows 7nm ZEN2 processors - Ready in 2019 - 06/06/2018 04:36 AM
AMD on Computex, also gave a small update on their 7nm Zen2 processors. AMD will first introduce 7nm processors on the EPYC server platform followed by the consumer parts in 2019....
AMD Talks AGESA v1.0.0.6 and DRAM - 05/26/2017 07:21 AM
On its community blog AMD posted a new entry talking about the new AGESA v1.0.0.6 firmware updates we mentioned earlier this month. The new update focuses on overclocked memory and there is some gre...
AMD Talks VEGA - VR and Stategic relation with Bethesda at GDC 2017 - 02/28/2017 08:49 PM
Earlier today AMD held its yearly Capsaicin & Cream Event, you have been able to follow it on the LiveStream. Nothing was announced that hasn’t been announced before but VEGA was discuss...
AMD Talks Radeon Rx 480, Zen Processors and 7th Gen APUs in Computex 2016 Live Stream - 06/01/2016 08:28 AM
AMD live stream from Computex 2016 is about to start. AMD is expected to reveal Radeon Polaris GPU updates and Bristol Ridge APUs. You can watch it here: ...
Senior Member
Posts: 157
Joined: 2015-05-18
What does that even mean?
Senior Member
Posts: 519
Joined: 2007-09-24
It means two companies that love to talk the talk but let's see how they walk the walk.
By the way, if AMD keeps their word I expect a video from you eating the ford mustang posted here - you mean the real car and not a toy replica I hope??? - start with the tires - they will server as antacid and then work your way up from suspension elements.
Senior Member
Posts: 157
Joined: 2015-05-18
It means two companies that love to talk the talk but let's see how they walk the walk.
By the way, if AMD keeps their word I expect a video from you eating the ford mustang posted here - you mean the real car and not a toy replica I hope??? - start with the tires - they will server as antacid and then work your way up from suspension elements.
Nvidia has actually delivered sizeable perf-watt increases at the architectural level on a pretty consistent basis. AMD has not. Navi is like 15% more efficient than Vega on 7nm. No way in hell do they manage a 50% perf/watt increase on the same node. If they even manage 20% I will be completely amazed. "Poor Volta", "Overclockers dream", Zen2 boost clocks etc. AMD is constantly caught talking out of it's ass. This will definitely be no different.
Senior Member
Posts: 8141
Joined: 2008-07-31
then we will hear from AMD>>>>>
We have released new BIOSes......BLA BLA....to....BLA BLA....so that...BLA BLA
Contact Customer Care here: support@blabla.com
-----------------------------
Our latest drivers have been BLA BLAed for upcoming BLA BLA products...
The upcoming BLA BLA drivers will BLA BLA the problems.....etc...
---------------------------
Oh i'm so sorry that a company....supports their products......
Navi is like 15% more efficient than Vega on 7nm. No way in hell do they manage a 50% perf/watt increase on the same node.
More like a range of 15%-30% depending on the game/scenario. Navi 7nm uses 25% less power then Radeon VII yet in many scenarios matches or bests the Radeon VII, also loses ofcourse. 15% however is no accurate average.
Senior Member
Posts: 519
Joined: 2007-09-24
Amd 50%perf/watt will be the same as Nvidia 50 - 75% performance increase.